How to convert MIDI files to guitar staff
Bare with me as I'm fairly new to Musescore.
I am a classical guitar player. I recorded a song on MP3. I converted it to MIDI files using an open source MIDI converter (https://basicpitch.spotify.com/) which I then opened in Musescore 3.
The problem is it opened as a piano score, not a guitar score. I have two staffs, like for piano, and notes are scattered on both staff. Moreover, some staff use the G clef and others the F clef.
How can I import MID guitar files directly in Musescore so I can see a "real" guitar score?
How to cleanup the score that looks pretty weird on the first import?
See attached picture.
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Comments
It's better if you attach the MIDI file so someone here can see if it's worth "cleaning up".
In reply to It's better if you attach… by Jm6stringer
My main point is how to convert a midi file directly into a guitar staff with one voice, not a piano staff with 2 voices.
The "clean-up" part looks like a long process but something I can do.
The "directly to guitar" part is caused by the MIDI having that instrument information in it. As you've noticed, most convertor/interpreter software doesn't have that. As a consequence the instrument definition defaults to the first defined instrument in the General MIDI specification, which is a Piano.
In the import panel, just make sure to uncheck the "split staff" option and it'll import into a single Piano staff.
You then may use the Staff/Part-properties to "change instrument" to a guitar.
Here is the chapter on MIDI import in the handbook.
https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/midi-import
If you look at the "midi import panel" and make sure that there is no check mark in the column "split staff" it should import everything in the same staff.
In reply to Here is the chapter on MIDI… by AndreasKågedal
Thanks everyone! I tried some of your tips, and still playing with them. I'll get back to let you know how it went... 😊
OK, I've tried all that, except I still can't work it out!
I import my midi file, consisting of only one guitar part, and for the first import, I can't see where to "uncheck the split staff" option. But I do see it once the file has been imported.
Once imported, I unchecked that option, which removed the "piano" two parts, but now I'm stuck with a bass clef (F). I tried to add a guitar instrument, but it only adds it under "Electric piano" (the default option).
Now, how do I move the Bass notes (Electric piano) to the Treble part (guitar), and how to remove the Bass staff afterwards?
See screenshot.
In reply to OK, I've tried all that,… by Jackie Kerouac
Use https://musescore.org/en/handbook/3/copy-and-paste to copy over the notes.
Then use the same Edit > Instruments window you used to add the instrument to remove the other.
But again, note that you could just open up the staff/part-properties of the existing staff and in there choose "change instrument".
In reply to Use https://musescore.org/en… by jeetee
Thank you! I followed your copy-paste advice and I managed to get something "decent" out of the mumbo-jumbo. Yet there are so many edits to do it seems that I'll still be doing them at Christmas! 😊
Are there any tutorial on how to edit actual scores in Musescore?
In reply to Thank you! I followed your… by Jackie Kerouac
As you are seeing, import from a format as limited as MIDI is often very problematic for anything but the most simplistic music (eg, one note at a time, only simple and perfectly quantized note values). You're often better off just entering the notes normally instead. Either way, you need the same basic set of skills, but entering notes correctly in the first place is usually way easier than fixing notes entered incorrectly - especially when multiple voices are involved as they practically always are for guitar.
Tons of tutorials out there on entering and editing scores. I can't help but mention my online course - https://school.masteringmusescore.com/p/complete, but I'm sure others can make other recommendations.